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Tea Time

Gail Baral and Robert Wain use tea, like a baker uses flour and butter. The ingredient is a staple in all of the recipes that they create for their catering business, Algabar. From tea-infused cocktails, to chicken salad sandwiches, cookies, and muffins, tea is one ingredient that elegantly flavors all of their offerings. Algabar (algabar.com).

Tea-stained fabrics meet criteria for adding decoration with a worn, antique patina. For do-it-yourselfers, dying fabric with tea is an easy weekend project, but plenty of fabric manufacturers keep these distressed beauties in their inventories. This one is from Lee Jofa; leejofa.com

The properties of tea won't diminish when stored properly. These tea caddies, both from Theodore Alexander, not only protect the delicate tea leaves, but are pretty, too. The octagonal caddy (#1105-078) is inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and its lid is topped with a brass finial. The Georgian pear-shaped caddy (#1000-125) features a brass handle in the shape of a stem; theodorealexander.com.

For the past decade, coffee has been the beverage blockbuster, but tea is giving it a run for its money. Tea shops are popping up everywhere. The teapots above are housed on shelves at Gong Fu Tea in Des Moines, Iowa; gongfu-tea.com. Check out what's available in your local destination. Some of our favorites include Alice's Tea Cup (alicesteacup.com), Lady Mendl's (innatirving.com), and T Salon (tsalon.com) in New York. In Los Angeles, we love Paddington's (paddingtonstearoom.com).

The world of tea is no simple topic. Its complex varieties make having a guide at hand useful for the novice. This one, Harney & Sons Guide to Tea, yields a plethora of information (harneyandsons.com). As delectable as the beverage itself, the tins and packaging used to sell tea are equally intriguing and beautiful. From back: Tea District, Portsmouth Tea Company (portsmouthtea.com), Talbott Tea (talbottgourmetteas.com), and Harney & Sons.

Cooking with Tea
Tea leaves add delicate herbal and floral notes to baked goods, sauces, marinades, and broths. The package description will tell you what characteristics to expect when you add tea leaves to your recipe. Usually, one tablespoon is enough to flavor the finished dish.

Brewed tea can be substituted for water in recipes with superb results. As a rule of thumb, substitute brewed tea for half the liquid in a recipe. (Try cooking jasmine rice in brewed tea.) Brew tea for cooking in slightly warm (not boiling) water to avoid bitterness.

These four recipes showcase tea as an ingredient in shortbread, pasta sauce, deviled egg, and sangria. Visit a tea shop or a natural food store for the best, freshest selection of tea leaves.
Green Tea Shortbread Wedges These intriguingly beautiful cookies are made with emerald-hued matcha (Japanese green tea powder), ground from tea leaves. Matcha is sold by the ounce

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons matcha (green tea powder)

1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

1/2 cup cold butter

Green luster dust* (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F. In medium bowl combine flour, sugar, matcha, and lemon peel. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Form mixture into ball; knead until smooth.

To make shortbread wedges, place dough on ungreased cookie sheet; pat or roll dough into 8-inch circle. Carefully crimp the edge of the dough circle. Cut circle into 8 to 12 wedges. Do not separate wedges. Using rounded edge of candy or cookie mold, make leaf imprint in each wedge.

Tea-Sauced Scallops with Orange and HoneyKeemun tea has a fruity aroma with hints of pine. This recipe works equally well with shrimp or fish. If using fish, choose firm-fleshed fillets such as bass or roughy; cut fillets into thumb-size pieces

Transfer scallops from bowl to pan with slotted spoon; toss gently to coat with sauce. To serve, arrange noodles into nests on four warm dinner plates. Top with scallops and sauce. Garnish with green onion and cilantro sprigs. Makes 4 servings.

Thousand-Year-Old Deviled Eggs and CrabThis interesting combination of Chinese, Japanese, and Southern traditions is as delicious as it is attractive. The marble pattern intensifies the longer the shelled eggs are exposed to air.

6 eggs

6 Darjeeling or other black tea bags

1/4 cup soy sauce

6 ounces crabmeat, picked over and flaked

1/4 cup minced shallots

2 tablespoons minced pickled ginger

Pinch powdered wasabi or dab wasabi paste

6 tablespoons mayonnaise, regular or reduced-fat

1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Salt and ground white pepper

Slices of pickled ginger, for garnish

Chives, cut into 1-inch lengths, for garnish

Put eggs in saucepan; cover with water. Bring just to boil; reduce heat. Gently simmer 10 minutes. Remove eggs with slotted spoon; set aside. When cool enough to handle, gently roll eggs on counter to crack shells all over. Do not peel.